Bipin Rawat death: No SOS call before helicopter carrying Indian military chief crashed
An Indian air force helicopter that crashed and killed the military chief, General Bipin Rawat, and 12 others lost contact with air traffic control seven minutes before it was supposed to land and sent no distress call before it was found in flames in a forested area, India’s defense minister said on Thursday.
In a statement in India’s Parliament, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh did not indicate any SOS by the helicopter crew or bad weather in the region in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.
Rawat, 63, his wife and 11 army and air force personnel on board were killed in the crash on Wednesday. The lone survivor, air force Captain Varun Singh, is being treated in a military hospital, the air force said.
Singh said that a military inquiry committee started work hours after the crash. Media reports said voice and data recorders, the black box, have been recovered from the site.
The Russian-made Mi-17V5 helicopter was on its way from an air force base to the army defense services college when it crashed near the town of Coonoor, a hill station in Tamil Nadu. The reason for the crash was not immediately known.
Television images showed plumes of smoke billowing from the debris as local residents tried to put out the fire and remove bodies from the wreckage.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Rawat had contributed greatly to modernizing the country’s armed forces. “His insights and perspectives on strategic matters were exceptional,” Modi said.
Gen Bipin Rawat was an outstanding soldier. A true patriot, he greatly contributed to modernising our armed forces and security apparatus. His insights and perspectives on strategic matters were exceptional. His passing away has saddened me deeply. Om Shanti. pic.twitter.com/YOuQvFT7Et
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 8, 2021
As India’s first CDS, Gen Rawat worked on diverse aspects relating to our armed forces including defence reforms. He brought with him a rich experience of serving in the Army. India will never forget his exceptional service.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 8, 2021
Singh said Rawat “served the country with exceptional courage and diligence.”
The US Embassy in New Delhi extended its condolences, calling Rawat "a strong friend and partner of the United States, overseeing a major expansion of India’s defense cooperation with the U.S. military.’’
In September, Rawat spent five days traveling in the US as part of a counterpart visit with Gen. Mark Milley to discuss military developments and opportunities to enhance cooperation between the two countries, the embassy said.
Archrival Pakistan’s army chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, expressed his condolences.
General Nadeem Raza, CJCSC & General Qamar Javed Bajwa, COAS express condolences on tragic death of #CDS General #BipinRawat, his wife and loss of precious lives in a helicopter crash in India
— DG ISPR (@OfficialDGISPR) December 8, 2021
Rawat was the most senior official in the Indian military and the first chief of defense staff, a position created by the government in 2019. He was also an adviser to the Defense Ministry.
His primary task was to overhaul the military, which has struggled to modernize and improve coordination among the army, navy and air force.
He previously served as chief of army staff and also commanded forces in Indian-controlled Kashmir and along the frontier with China. He was a veteran of counterinsurgency operations.
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